Senate Bill 2184

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.



    Florida Senate - 2000                                  SB 2184

    By Senator Lee





    23-1397B-00

  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to water supply entities;

  3         amending s. 373.196, F.S.; providing

  4         legislative findings concerning notice and

  5         access to meetings; amending s. 373.1962, F.S.;

  6         providing requirements for notice and access to

  7         certain meetings; providing an effective date.

  8

  9  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:

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11         Section 1.  Subsection (4) is added to section 373.196,

12  Florida Statutes, to read:

13         373.196  Legislative findings.--

14         (4)  The member governments of a water supply authority

15  created under s. 373.1962, or a regional water authority or

16  water supply utility created under s. 163.01, must be given

17  reasonable prior meeting notice in writing from the

18  authorities or utilities and are entitled to attend all

19  meetings between the authorities or utilities and the

20  appropriate permitting agency in connection with any permit

21  application filed by the authorities or utilities, as an

22  applicant or co-applicant, or any modification, renewal,

23  revocation, or enforcement proceedings related to a permit

24  held by the authorities or utilities, as a permittee or

25  co-permittee. For purposes of this subsection, a water supply

26  authority or regional water supply utility includes the

27  authority's or utility's board of directors, staff, or

28  consultants, and references to an appropriate permitting

29  agency include the agency's head, staff, or consultants.

30         Section 2.  Subsections (10) and (11) are added to

31  section 373.1962, Florida Statutes, to read:

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CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.






    Florida Senate - 2000                                  SB 2184
    23-1397B-00




  1         373.1962  Regional water supply authorities.--

  2         (10)  The member governments of a water supply

  3  authority created under this section, or a water supply

  4  authority or regional water supply utility created under s.

  5  163.01, shall be provided with reasonable prior meeting notice

  6  in writing from the authorities or utilities and are entitled

  7  to attend all meetings between the authorities or utilities

  8  and the appropriate permitting agency in connection with any

  9  permit application filed by the authorities or utilities, as

10  an applicant or co-applicant, or any modification, renewal,

11  revocation, or enforcement proceedings related to a permit

12  held by the authorities or utilities, as a permittee or

13  co-permittee. For purposes of this subsection, a water supply

14  authority or regional water supply utility includes the

15  authority's or utility's board of directors, staff, or

16  consultants, and references to an appropriate permitting

17  agency include the agency's head, staff, or consultants.

18         (11)(a)  The public must be allowed to attend

19  preapplication meetings or other meetings where the water

20  management districts, the department, and the regional water

21  supply authorities or their contracted entities meet to

22  discuss data, regulatory requirements, land-use projections,

23  or other information related to water-supply projects

24  requiring permits under part II or part IV. For purposes of

25  this subsection, the term "contracted entities" means entities

26  that have a contractual agreement with a regional water supply

27  authority to develop, sell, lease, transfer, or otherwise

28  supply water.

29         (b)  The meetings may be noticed by the governing board

30  in a newspaper having general circulation within the affected

31  area. In addition, the governing board shall send, by regular

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    Florida Senate - 2000                                  SB 2184
    23-1397B-00




  1  mail, a copy of the notice to any person who has filed a

  2  written request for notification of any pending applications

  3  affecting the particular designated area.

  4         Section 3.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2000.

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  7                          SENATE SUMMARY

  8    Requires water supply authorities or utilities to give
      notice of and access to their meetings with permitting
  9    agencies to the member governments of the authorities or
      utilities. Requires that the public be allowed to attend
10    meetings where the water management districts, the
      Department of Environmental Protection, and the regional
11    water supply authorities or their contracted entities
      discuss water-supply projects requiring consumptive use
12    or surface water management and storage permits. Provides
      notice requirements for the meetings.
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